Technical documentation software for machinery
The technical file is the documented proof that a machine was designed and built in conformity. This guide explains what contents the law requires and how the technical documentation module of CE-Copilot supports you in documenting completely and in an audit-proof way under Annex VII of the Machinery Directive.
What is the technical file in the CE marking process?
The technical file, often also called technical documentation, is the documented proof that a machine was designed and built in conformity. It demonstrates to market surveillance that the machine meets the essential health and safety requirements and thus forms the substantive basis for CE marking.
Content and scope are governed by Annex VII of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC (in future Annex IV of the EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230). This includes, among other things, the overall drawing, circuit diagrams, calculations, the risk assessment, the standards applied, test reports, the operating instructions and the declaration of conformity.
The technical file is therefore not a single document but a coherent file in which the results of the entire design and conformity assessment are bundled. An incomplete or unstructured technical file is one of the most common defects in formally flawed CE markings.
Retention and provision
The technical file does not have to be permanently available in physical form, but it must be capable of being made available on a reasoned request from the market surveillance authority. What matters, then, is that the documents are available at all times, complete and organised in a traceable way.
In addition, the documents must be retained for at least 10 years from the date of manufacture of the last machine. A structured, project-based filing system makes it considerably easier to fulfil this retention and provision obligation reliably over many years.
The technical documentation module in CE-Copilot
Below you will find the central features, each with its concrete advantage and the benefit for your daily work.
41-point checklist in 8 sections exactly per Annex VII
The checklist is divided into eight sections (general information, description, risk assessment, standards and directives, drawings and calculations, tests, operating instructions and conformity assessment) and distinguishes mandatory from optional items.
You work through the legally required scope of the technical file item by item and do not overlook any mandatory element, instead of relying on a template you built yourself.
Three-status system per item with mandatory justification and progress display
Each item receives one of three statuses: open, done or not applicable. For “not applicable” a justification is mandatory, and progress is shown per section.
You can see at any time what is still missing and document traceably why an item does not apply. That stands up to scrutiny by market surveillance.
File upload per item in access-protected storage
Files of up to 50 MB (PDF, DOCX, XLSX, ZIP, images) can be uploaded to each item. They are stored in access-protected storage so that each user sees only their own files (RLS).
You collect drawings, calculations and test reports directly at the matching item. Your evidence is organised, findable and protected from access by others.
Project-based: one coherent technical file
The module builds on the risk assessment, the standards checklist and the declaration of conformity of the same project and brings all components together into one coherent technical file.
You do not maintain your documents in separate silos but in one consistent overall dossier: what belongs together in the CE process stays linked.
Automatic saving, download and deletion of files
Your entries are saved automatically, and uploaded files can be downloaded or deleted again at any time.
You lose no interim states and keep full control over your evidence, without manual saving or version chaos.
Compile your technical file in a structured way now
Compile your technical file under Annex VII, with a 41-point checklist, three-status system and file upload per item in one coherent technical file. Cancel monthly, no annual subscription.